Professional baseball player Jeon Jun-woo of the Lotte Giants became the 20th player in history to achieve 2,000 hits.
On the 4th, Jeon Jun-woo started as the designated hitter in the 4th spot in the regular season game against the Kiwoom Heroes at Sajik Stadium in Busan, hitting 2 singles to complete his 2,000 hits.
Before this game, Jeon Jun-woo had recorded a total of 1,998 hits. In the 3rd inning, with 1 out and a runner on 1st base, he hit a single to left field for his 1,999th hit, and in the 7th inning, with no outs and a runner on 1st base, trailing 3-6, he hit a double over the left fielder's head to complete his 2,000th hit.
Thus, Jeon Jun-woo became the 20th player in KBO history to achieve 2,000 hits. As a member of the Lotte Giants, he became the 3rd player to reach the 2,000-hit milestone after Lee Dae-ho (retired, 2,199 hits) and Son Ah-seop (current NC, 2,077 hits). He ranked as the 8th player overall to hold the 2,000 hits record as a right-handed batter, following Hong Sung-heun, Jung Sung-hoon, Kim Tae-kyun, Lee Dae-ho, Choi Jung, Hwang Jae-kyun, and Kang Min-ho.
Graduating from Kyungju High School and Korea University, Jeon Jun-woo was selected by Lotte in the second round of the 2008 rookie draft with the 15th overall pick. He debuted on September 3, 2008, against LG at Sajik Stadium, marking his first hit with a double in his first at-bat. He continued to record consistent hits, achieving his 1,000th hit in the 2018 season and 1,500th hit in the 2021 season.
Since his debut until last season, he recorded over 100 hits in 13 out of 16 seasons, including 6 seasons with over 150 hits. In particular, he achieved 190 hits in the 2018 season and 192 hits in the 2021 season, earning the title of the top hit leader.
After the 2019 season, he acquired his first free agent eligibility and remained with Lotte by signing a contract worth 3.4 billion won over four years. After the 2023 season, he acquired his second free agent eligibility and chose to stay with Lotte again for a maximum of 4 years at 4.7 billion won. During his second free agency, he signed a contract that guarantees him until the age of 41, declaring himself a "lifetime Lotte man."
Now, the record for the most hits by a Lotte player is within reach. With 200 more hits to go until Lee Dae-ho's 2,199 hits, he could break the record for the most hits by a Lotte player.
[OSEN]